Savory Butternut Squash ~ Achari Kaddu

Fall, in North America, and autumn for folks from the subcontinent is a season synonymous with abundance of vegetables from the gourd family.

To be entirely honest, growing up we didn’t eat a lot of pumpkin. In India there are quite a few that are available. But the most common that is cooked as a savory main is a variety called jade prince- the regular green pumpkin.

So this fall, I decided to try my hand at cooking a Butternut Squash as my first foray into using pumpkins in my cuisine.

The gorgeous golden flesh of the butternut was so inviting- I wanted to scoop it right out! But not so fast.

Take a heavy bottomed utensil – either a frying pan or wok style kadhai. Warm it up on high heat and then add cooking fat of your choice.

To this add fennel and nigella seeds. Sautee them until fragrant then add fenugreek seeds. Overcooked fenugreek seeds taste bitter. Try to add them at the end and cook on low heat for just under a minute.

Once the tadka is ready, transfer the chopped butternut squash and stir.

Season with salt, pepper, chilli powder and coriander powder.

Mix well and cook covered for 10 minutes or until the squash feels soft and mashes easily.

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7 thoughts on “Savory Butternut Squash ~ Achari Kaddu”

Gorgeous! I swear I’ve seen many a squash dish, sometimes curried, in my Indian cookbooks – I guess it depends where in India you live. Butternut squash is so delicious and versatile – I love your spices!